In this election cycle, voters must determine whether a controversial incumbent or his experienced challenger is best equipped to lead a country that is saddled with uncertainty and conflict.
With the pandemic and social unrest as just two of the major issues facing our nation, there is much work to be done. On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has been quick to place the fault at President Trump’s feet for the growing volatility.
While we technically live in “Trump’s America,” it is also true that he has little control over what rioters, mayors, and governors. He is, however, responsible for his own words and actions, some of which have not helped these tense situations.
On the other hand, Biden claims that if he is elected, he can bring a sense of calm to the country. His own behavior says otherwise. In his address in Pittsburgh on Monday, Biden called out what he believes are the instigators of the unrest: “Extremists and opportunists — right-wing militias, white supremacists, vigilantes — who infiltrate protests carrying weapons of war.” He then went on to decry the violence stating, “I want to be clear about this: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting — it’s lawlessness — plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted.”
At a quick glance, this speech seems like an appropriate condemnation of the wrong that has been committed. But his refusal to name left-wing agitators and members of antifa, the ones responsible for the overwhelming majority of this year’s riot-related violence and destruction, means he accomplished little of substance. If an unwillingness to denounce those aligned with his views is a hallmark of his campaign, while he’s seeking the highest office in the land, an actual Biden administration would be no different.
It is absurd to think that if Biden is elected president, then the rioting, arson, looting, and worse would suddenly cease to exist or be dramatically reduced. There is simply no way that he can promise a de-escalation would occur once he is in the White House. After all, he is the candidate who is soft on the very architects of the mayhem. He chooses to call out those wrong actors who, while no less guilty of wrongdoing, have only played a minimal role in the chaos. When it comes to addressing problems within our country, a president should criticize all active participants.
There is certainly some truth to the fact that Trump’s words on social media have praised and encouraged the kind of vigilantism that we saw from 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As the leader of our nation, he should excuse himself from participating in online incitement, no matter how insignificant it may seem. His supporters should hold him accountable for doing so. But to his credit, Trump has been quick to demand law and order from officials and ask that they address the growing problems within their communities.
At the most basic level, the chaos we see around the country is a failure of local law enforcement, mayors, and others who are either ill-equipped or too complacent to combat the turmoil. If the issues are to be resolved, it begins there.
Of the two imperfect candidates, it is Trump who demands that those in the immediate vicinity of the violence work toward quelling the tumult. This can’t be done if, like Joe Biden, those directly responsible for the riots and violence are not called out by name.
When it comes to dealing with societal unrest and rioting, Trump’s opponent claims to have the answers. In reality, his concrete solutions are nonexistent. But worst of all, he refuses to be honest about what those problems are in the first place.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
